Pan's Labyrinth study guide

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SYNOPSIS

Pan’s Labyrinth unfolds through the eyes of Ofelia, a dreamy little girl who is uprooted to a ruralmilitary outpost in Fascist-ruled Spain commanded by her new stepfather, the Captain.Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable asshe confronts monsters both otherworldly and human.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this resource is to provide an introduction to the key aspects of the film, suchas narrative tradition and structure. Questions and activities raised here may be useful forGCSE, AS/A2, and Highers students. Teachers of Art & Design, Film, English and Media, as wellas Spanish will also find this resource useful.

http://www.filmeducation.org

http://www.panslabyrinth.co.uk


MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALESThe narrative brings together lots of elements from different forms; these are interconnected toproduce the world that Ofelia inhabits. She is the meeting point for a great many influences.Imagine that you are her age (11). What kinds of stories would you have read or been told?Make a list.

When thinking about Ofelia it is important to remember the time in which she belongs. Therewas no television, PlayStation, etc. Ofelia’s love of books is essential to the narrative, as it hasprovided her with the basis of the reality that we see through her eyes.

KEY QUESTIONS

; How is Ofelia’s love of books conveyed in the film?

; How is the relationship between Ofelia and Captain Vidal established?

(Think about her body language)




CONTROL AND COMFORTStorytelling or fantasy is something that provides Ofelia with a sense of control as we see sheis able to participate and achieve goals. This stands in sharp contrast to her other reality whereshe is told what to do.

KEY QUESTIONS

; Over which aspects of your life do you have control?

; What do you look for to give you comfort when you are stressed?




MYTHS AND LEGACYAlthough the specific fairy tales may be different, there is universal desire to understand andexplain the world through myths and stories. Even though as individuals we might not know thewhole story, by looking at a few phrases in everyday use we can see that references to figuresfrom myths and legends remain in everyday language:

; a Herculean task ; the sword of Damocles was hanging over her

; he was a Colossus ; being a Robin Hood character

; a great Behemoth of a building ; opening a Pandora’s box

; the Midas touch ; having an Achilles heel

; a Pyrrhic victory

The structure of the world that Ofelia inhabits is a familiar one: she meets characters that sether tasks that she must complete. These conventions are commonplace in the stories referredto above.




Using the table below make a list of the character types.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

PAN’S LABYRINTH EXAMPLE ARCHETYPE EQUIVALENTS FROM OTHER STORIES

The Faun Guide

Helper

Trickster

Villain

Hero

These characters, as the previous exercise shows, are familiar to us as an audience; you maywell have been able to put more than one example in the ‘Equivalents’ box. This has an impacton our expectations of the narrative, as the structure is so familiar.

Look at the box below and think about the narrative in this particular case as well as otherexamples of this kind of storytelling.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS

NARRATIVE

ELEMENT

PAN’S LABYRINTH OTHER EXAMPLE, E.G. ANOTHER FAIRY TALE

Equilibrium Ofelia arrives at the estate

Disequilibrium

ComplicationsWhat task(s) must shecomplete?




When we get to the ending, how does this compare with your expectations? Were yousurprised?

Research one of the following fairy tales:

; Hansel and Gretel

; Rapunzel

; Cinderella

You will need to research the original version (the first known written version) and consider howthe story has been re-told. Has the ending or any other element of the story been changed?Perhaps you are more familiar with a slightly different version? How do you know this version?Was it through a cartoon or film version, a book or did someone tell you? What do you think thistells us about audience taste?




MISE-EN-SCÈNECreating the appropriate set and designing costumes, models and props are all an essentialpart of the story on film. In Pan’s Labyrinth this is particularly important as it helps the audienceto believe in the world that we are seeing. There are a great many areas that would haverequired an agreed look; this would mean that the various elements of the art department wereinvolved with working with the director to generate a consistent look for this world. For example,during the opening of the film we see Ofelia notice a stone. Think about what it looks like.How/where are elements of its design repeated throughout the film?

If you were working on the film as part of a team that develops the scenery or costumes or otherelements of the ‘look’, can you imagine the kinds of stages that you would need to go throughto develop a creature such as the ‘Pale Man’ (the creature its eyes on a plate)?

TASK

; Look at the official site: www.panslabyrinth.com/. Under the section ‘downloads’ you areable to find the screenplay. Using this, pick a sequence and interpret your chosen section of thescreenplay from your own perspective. How would you imagine the scene? What would it looklike? (You may also find it useful to look at del Toro’s sketchbook on the site.)




GUILLERMO DEL TOROA common theme in Guillermo del Toro films is the inclusion of fantasy and a sense that realityisn’t quite as straightforward as it might seem.

In Pan’s Labyrinth we usually share the point of view of Ofelia and by extension we can see allthat she sees. The strange world of the Faun and his tasks, which is real for her, is essential tothe narrative as it provides Ofelia with motivation for her actions and moves the story along ina particular way.

Both Ofelia and Carlos (in The Devil’s Backbone, a film also by del Toro) are able to see thingsthat are either real, or very real to them. The difference between the two remains ambiguous,and largely unimportant to the narrative.

Another element that links del Toro’s films is the manifestation of evil in the story. Captain Vidal’smarriage to Ofelia’s mother means that her life will be very different; his relationship with Ofeliais very similar to the ‘wicked stepmother’ character to be found in Cinderella and other fairytales. In The Devil’s Backbone, evil comes in the shape of Fascism, as the Spanish Civil Warprovides the backdrop, and a specific context for the actions of Mercedes and the Dr Ferreiroand those that are fighting against Franco.

KEY QUESTIONS

Stories (passed down through generations by word of mouth, in books or on film) are society’sway of making sense of our world and establishing the difference between right and wrong /good and evil.

; Do you agree with this statement?

; How do the films of Guillermo del Toro fit in with this idea?




SYNOPSIS

Pan’s Labyrinth unfolds through the eyes of Ofelia, a dreamy little girl who is uprooted to a ruralmilitary outpost in Fascist-ruled Spain commanded by her new stepfather, the Captain.Powerless and lonely in a place of unfathomable cruelty, Ofelia lives out her own dark fable asshe confronts monsters both otherworldly and human.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this resource is to provide an introduction to the key aspects of the film, suchas narrative tradition and structure. Questions and activities raised here may be useful forGCSE, AS/A2, and Highers students. Teachers of Art & Design, Film, English and Media, as wellas Spanish will also find this resource useful.




MYTHS, LEGENDS AND FAIRY TALESThe narrative brings together lots of elements from different forms; these are interconnected toproduce the world that Ofelia inhabits. She is the meeting point for a great many influences.Imagine that you are her age (11). What kinds of stories would you have read or been told?Make a list.

When thinking about Ofelia it is important to remember the time in which she belongs. Therewas no television, PlayStation, etc. Ofelia’s love of books is essential to the narrative, as it hasprovided her with the basis of the reality that we see through her eyes.

KEY QUESTIONS

; How is Ofelia’s love of books conveyed in the film?

; How is the relationship between Ofelia and Captain Vidal established?

(Think about her body language)




CONTROL AND COMFORTStorytelling or fantasy is something that provides Ofelia with a sense of control as we see sheis able to participate and achieve goals. This stands in sharp contrast to her other reality whereshe is told what to do.

KEY QUESTIONS

; Over which aspects of your life do you have control?

; What do you look for to give you comfort when you are stressed?




MYTHS AND LEGACYAlthough the specific fairy tales may be different, there is universal desire to understand andexplain the world through myths and stories. Even though as individuals we might not know thewhole story, by looking at a few phrases in everyday use we can see that references to figuresfrom myths and legends remain in everyday language:

; a Herculean task ; the sword of Damocles was hanging over her

; he was a Colossus ; being a Robin Hood character

; a great Behemoth of a building ; opening a Pandora’s box

; the Midas touch ; having an Achilles heel

; a Pyrrhic victory

The structure of the world that Ofelia inhabits is a familiar one: she meets characters that sether tasks that she must complete. These conventions are commonplace in the stories referredto above.

Using the table below make a list of the character types.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

PAN’S LABYRINTH EXAMPLE ARCHETYPE EQUIVALENTS FROM OTHER STORIES

The Faun Guide

Helper

Trickster

Villain

Hero




These characters, as the previous exercise shows, are familiar to us as an audience; you maywell have been able to put more than one example in the ‘Equivalents’ box. This has an impacton our expectations of the narrative, as the structure is so familiar.

Look at the box below and think about the narrative in this particular case as well as otherexamples of this kind of storytelling.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS

NARRATIVE

ELEMENT

PAN’S LABYRINTH OTHER EXAMPLE, E.G. ANOTHER FAIRY TALE

Equilibrium Ofelia arrives at the estate

Disequilibrium

ComplicationsWhat task(s) must shecomplete?

When we get to the ending, how does this compare with your expectations? Were yousurprised?

Research one of the following fairy tales:

; Hansel and Gretel

; Rapunzel

; Cinderella

You will need to research the original version (the first known written version) and consider howthe story has been re-told. Has the ending or any other element of the story been changed?Perhaps you are more familiar with a slightly different version? How do you know this version?Was it through a cartoon or film version, a book or did someone tell you? What do you think thistells us about audience taste?




MISE-EN-SCÈNECreating the appropriate set and designing costumes, models and props are all an essentialpart of the story on film. In Pan’s Labyrinth this is particularly important as it helps the audienceto believe in the world that we are seeing. There are a great many areas that would haverequired an agreed look; this would mean that the various elements of the art department wereinvolved with working with the director to generate a consistent look for this world. For example,during the opening of the film we see Ofelia notice a stone. Think about what it looks like.How/where are elements of its design repeated throughout the film?

If you were working on the film as part of a team that develops the scenery or costumes or otherelements of the ‘look’, can you imagine the kinds of stages that you would need to go throughto develop a creature such as the ‘Pale Man’ (the creature its eyes on a plate)?

TASK

; Look at the official site: www.panslabyrinth.com/. Under the section ‘downloads’ you areable to find the screenplay. Using this, pick a sequence and interpret your chosen section of thescreenplay from your own perspective. How would you imagine the scene? What would it looklike? (You may also find it useful to look at del Toro’s sketchbook on the site.)




GUILLERMO DEL TOROA common theme in Guillermo del Toro films is the inclusion of fantasy and a sense that realityisn’t quite as straightforward as it might seem.

In Pan’s Labyrinth we usually share the point of view of Ofelia and by extension we can see allthat she sees. The strange world of the Faun and his tasks, which is real for her, is essential tothe narrative as it provides Ofelia with motivation for her actions and moves the story along ina particular way.

Both Ofelia and Carlos (in The Devil’s Backbone, a film also by del Toro) are able to see thingsthat are either real, or very real to them. The difference between the two remains ambiguous,and largely unimportant to the narrative.

Another element that links del Toro’s films is the manifestation of evil in the story. Captain Vidal’smarriage to Ofelia’s mother means that her life will be very different; his relationship with Ofeliais very similar to the ‘wicked stepmother’ character to be found in Cinderella and other fairytales. In The Devil’s Backbone, evil comes in the shape of Fascism, as the Spanish Civil Warprovides the backdrop, and a specific context for the actions of Mercedes and the Dr Ferreiroand those that are fighting against Franco.

KEY QUESTIONS

Stories (passed down through generations by word of mouth, in books or on film) are society’sway of making sense of our world and establishing the difference between right and wrong /good and evil.

; Do you agree with this statement?

; How do the films of Guillermo del Toro fit in with this idea?



Pan's Labyrinth study guide

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